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Too many old man silicone masks

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  • #16
    deleted all




    Originally posted by jack View Post
    Ian, you misjudge me. I LOVE your work. Great texture, fabulous paint jobs. They just all look alike. I know you're dealing with the limitations of the silicone, and I appreciate that. But I don't understand why you can't find several different cores with different facial structures but the same overall dimensions. I have 3 different 'average guy' heads, 3 'big guy' heads, and two 'little guy' heads(not as many female heads, but a variety there as well) all cast from customers or friends. It's not hard to get them

    Your stuff is great--but, right now, to anyone with any familiarity with it, it has an 'I've seen this before' vibe--because each looks so much like the mask next to it. If you had some different facial structures to work with your stuff could blow everyone out of the water.

    Nome of this is meant as a jibe. Maybe as a nudge, you know?
    Last edited by ianfxmen; 06-26-2013, 05:23 AM.
    www.realfleshmasks.com

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    • #17
      Ian, I think you should consider what happened with spfx. They were first for silicone masks and were super hot for a year or two but then CFX came out with a much broader selection and styles and many more monster and character masks and they blow spfx away to the point where they are virtually irrelevant in the haunt industry and just sells key component equipment for bank robberies, aka realistic and old man masks.

      CFX and immortal are growing because they try new techniques, and add more vibrant paint schemes and that's what people really want.

      Hope this helps you out. If your core is realistic masks that's where you should focus of course but when approaching haunted they seem to want monsters and interesting looks.

      DA

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      • #18
        Ian, what Jack is trying to say is ALL of your masks have similar wide, flat noses, broad, flat foreheads, wide chins, deep nasolabial folds, and flat against the head ears that curl slightly out at the top. If they are not all brothers, then they are all cousins in a very inbred family. Moving wrinkle lines around does not really change a sculpt if the basic form is the same. Expand your photo morgue and look at different faces. Push out the cheekbones, narrow the nose, point the chin, change the temporal line, make the ears go straight out, just do something really different.

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        • #19
          I for one would never buy an old man mask, or for that matter a mask to make a person into another person like a black guy, or some thug looking guy... silly!

          I want monsters, zombies, etc, etc... nothing more and the more creative the better.

          On the other hand I would agree that there are people out there especially bank robbers who do want those masks... I've also noticed many movies now are using old man masks for example for bad guys to wear into a bank or whatever. I also remember one of those Knoxville movies where he wore an old man masks, and had balls hanging out of his shorts freaking out people... it was funny.

          I do agree that maybe lots of people want them for all kinds of reasons but from a haunted house perspective I would never buy a normal looking person mask or an old guy mask. Again I know they are probably popular but many of these mask guys are making them and yes there is probably too many now.

          Bottom line you can't go wrong with MONSTERS!!!

          Go MONSTERS!

          Larry
          Larry Kirchner
          President
          www.HalloweenProductions.com
          www.BlacklightAttractions.com
          www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
          www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

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          • #20
            Ian,

            I really don't think anyone is taking a jab at you.
            As a matter of fact I think you have just been given a crazy gift that most vendors would kill to know.
            One of the hardest things in this industry is knowing what to do next.
            And now YOU know.
            Kevin R. Alvey
            info at gore-galore.com
            www.gore-galore.com
            www.halloweenmusicgalore.com
            www.youtube.com/goregalore13
            www.facebook.com/goregalore


            sigpic

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            • #21
              I agree with Kevin, I don't think anyone is talking about any company just in general. I think when silicone masks first came out old man masks and thug type masks where some of the firsts... so this goes way back. And now with all these new companies seems like everyone has old man masks, thug masks, or whatever. I think the comments are more in general and I tend to agree actually... but only if we are talking about the haunt industry. But any mask company doesn't just sell to the haunt industry so sure I'm betting you are right and you sell lots of them. Any good business man is going to make what sells, and if they sell make them... however I simply think overall haunters want monsters.

              Larry
              Larry Kirchner
              President
              www.HalloweenProductions.com
              www.BlacklightAttractions.com
              www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
              www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

              Comment


              • #22
                Ian, what Kevin says is right. We're not trying to cut you down, we are trying to get you to break out of your comfort zone and expand yourself as an artist. Don't think about what is safe to do in making a silicone mask, but how far can you push the boundaries. I'm putting on my Art Director hat (a job I did for about a decade for a magazine publishing group) and giving you an assignment. Do an old witch/hag face. Push the forms, exaggerate the features in the rough sculpt, then pull it back just a bit.

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                • #23
                  Hey, Ian, you think you could post a picture of the core you use?

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                  • #24
                    I have no artistic skill of the level of any of these mask makers. I think its phenomenal! That being said I do think that one particular company can try something a little new. One of the previous post about CFX and SPFX is true. The one started it all (pursay) than CFX came in with the different ideas and they look interesting.

                    HOWEVER,

                    The overabundance of human like old man masks is no existent. There are dozens of different mask makers with thousands of different ideas for mask other than the human like old man mask. Whatever the case I still can't wait to get a crap load of masks FROM EVERYBODY!

                    YIPEE! Lol.
                    Its A Verbal Orgy on Steroids!

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                    • #25
                      deleted all
                      Last edited by ianfxmen; 06-26-2013, 05:24 AM.
                      www.realfleshmasks.com

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                      • #26
                        Ian, I think your masks look fantastic! I would definitely love to see some more monsters!

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                        • #27
                          Ian, perhaps this animated gif can demonstrate what we are talking about.
                          realfleshani.gif

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by Infoamtek View Post
                            Ian, perhaps this animated gif can demonstrate what we are talking about.
                            [ATTACH=CONFIG]16621[/ATTACH]

                            Perfect that about sums it up. Really only the zombie looked a little different the other monsters looked just like the old man. Thanks for making that gif.

                            Variety is the spice of life!

                            DA

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                            • #29
                              I know JACK about masks or mask making. I've only done a few half masks and that's it, and a few full head for filling for props.

                              I also know JACK about any of these companies except for whats on their sites. I don't know anyone in particular, especially this Ian guy.

                              I DO know that no one was making jabs except for the point with the GIF and after seeing that, yes, I agree.

                              I have never owned a silicone mask and I still have yet to get to that point. But I'm trying.

                              What other things I DO know, is business. We have to capitalize on what's 'in'. Just like Brad Pitt and WWZ, which I'm about to go see. (missed my 4:55 showing for a miscalculated, unexpected NAP) So, what's this got to do with business? Well, a few years ago I told people "Zombies are the next thing. You watch, there'll soon be a zombie walk in almost every major city, a huge increase in zombie movies and before you know it, they'll be CUTE and all the kids will love them." Well, my daughter is 3yo, will be 4 this Halloween and guess what? She wants to be a zombie princess.

                              So, the 'new' is what we run with. The next 'in' thing. Old man masks were a HIT and once word started spreading or people's ideas of how to use them, sales increased. Businesses MUST capitalize on these 'hits' in order to keep up with the growing industry and stay in the green. So I expect that sales had a LOT to do with the making of so many old man masks. Plus, if you have a script for using more than one, it'd be nice to have more than one. Unfortunately, in case of the 'gif' company, you'd have to go to different producers to get different looking masks.

                              However, with all that said, understanding that it just had to happen, I sort of agree, there's a ton of them. But again, I do understand. If like, upwards of 50% of your sales are for one particular type of mask, bygolly ya better be designing more type of those masks.

                              I like realism and like Larry, I LOVE MONSTERS! You can't go wrong with monsters, especially ones so far fetched it's goofy to even believe it's real for even a second, and then scare the ever living crap out of someone with it.

                              I have no dog in this fight :P I just felt like chatting, Cherrio!

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                              • #30
                                Then again, maybe?

                                Those who don't like the old man masks .. are just phobic about becoming an old man themselves?
                                "Take off your mask!"
                                "I am Not wearing a MASK!"
                                Screams to follow.....
                                Being 64 yrs. old saves me tons of money on make up! "Old Guy , Jim"
                                hauntedravensgrin.com

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